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“They’re so Raven, his daughters,” Seth Romatelli said of Kobe Bryant’s daughters’ sparkly dresses as he watched the post- game award ceremonies June 17 when the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Boston Celtics to win the 2010 NBA champion- ship.

Romatelli is one of two hosts of the pod- cast “Uhh Yeah Dude”

In a phone interview with Savage Henry within minutes of the end of the game, Romatelli pointed out that June 17 is also the anniversary of O.J. Simpson’s slow- speed chase while lying in the back of that infamous white Bronco. Sixteen years. Any fan of the podcast is probably not surprised that Romatelli can drop a nugget of trivia like that.

The podcast is based in Los Angeles, where the other host, Jonathan Larroquette, grew up. Romatelli grew up in Massachusetts.

Judging by Romatelli’s comments, the cel- ebration he was watching was taking that inevitable, stereotypical turn.

“They’re about to Reginald Denny this fool — get out of there!” Romatelli yelled at the TV.

For more than four years, once a week, Romatelli and Larroquette have produced an episode of “Uhh Yeah Dude”. The roughly hourlong podcast features the two talking about everything from psychotic-inducing nicotine cessation medication to personal stories of youth, like humping an ottoman while watching a bodybuilding contest and having his folks walk in.

“A weekly roundup of America through the eyes of two American Americans” has been the show’s tagline since its inception. And though some regular segments have fallen to the wayside (“This Week in Florida” and “Who’s Mommin’ Harder”, to name a couple), the podcast has pretty much been the same over the years: the two comment- ing on, discovering and pondering informa- tion that sometimes needs a strong sense of humor to process.

“We wanted to do something and we wanted it to be funny,” Larroquette said. “We’re still trying to figure out where the idea came from.”

With more than 229 episodes and never missing a week, Romatelli and Larroquette are now veterans in the podcasting game.

So have they ever entertained the idea of having an international episode?

Romatelli talks about being sober and that he has been for years — and he’s not the only podcaster who is. As more comedy podcasts pop up, the likelihood is that the host is sober — almost like it’s the 13th step to create and host a podcast. Romatelli occasionally dips into stories of his boozing and curses Sparks energy malt liquor for coming out after he stopped drinking.

And the podcast has fans, lots of them in all walks of life from all over.

“I listen to the voicemail and for the most part I’ve never heard of the city [the caller is from],” Romatelli said.

And the area with the highest concentration of “UYD” listeners?

“You mean other than than supermax prison in Colorado?” Romatelli answered.

You may say you’re a fan of the podcast and then go to uhhyeahdude.com and be immediately humbled, the same way you say you’re a fan of Star Wars and then go to wookieepedia.com. There is a “wiki” that breaks down each “UYD” episode, touching on topics and references, a forum where fans engage in their own discussions of podcast topics (which creates countless spin offs), and a merchandise page featur- ing “baby soft” T-shirts.

Visitors to the website can also find the hosts’ mailing address, which some use to send items to the pair, some of which is edible?

Romatelli’s mother has been the sole guest host in the show’s history. And which podcasts do these pod- casters listen to?

None.

“I’ve never listened to another podcast,” Romatelli said.

“It’s been my New Year’s resolution for four years.” Though podcasting is nearing its sixth anniversary, there are still some people out there who have no idea what it is and it’s something bound to come up when explaining the show — “For sure, no doubt, on a regular basis … and they’re not just old people,” Larroquette said.

But podcasting isn’t the only creative outlet for the two.

Romatelli makes video collages (which can be found in Seth’s Corner of the Uhh Yeah Dude website) of some fucked-up shit he stumbles across while watching TV for 18 hours a day and Larroquette is half of the electronic band jogger, which coincedentally is playing Hum- brews Aug. 25 with Baths. $5.

The best suggested introduction to “UYD” is to have your wife/ husband get a job for which they work out of town five days a week and have your kids with their mother/father and out of the house. Then rent or buy a new game for your PS3. Start with episode one of the podcast and then listen to the rest in order. You can knock out 13-16 episodes a day and, before you know it, you’re all caught up. Then, no matter how your week is going, every Tuesday, Seth and Jonathan are there to remind you of what’s really important in life.

About Chris Durant

Chris Durant has worked at not working for decades. He has held roughly 100 jobs through his employment career, from a driving range ball picker upper to a door to door film salesman.
He started his first magazine, Mean Spirited Willie, in Sacramento around 1997. Since then he has been the publisher of Slow Kids Playing, First Draft, Notes From an American Nobody, Fat Llama Spit and Short Bus Magazine.
Durant and co-founder Sarah Godlin created Savage Henry after he was shoved aside as the editor of his local daily newspaper’s entertainment magazine. In the early meetings Durant's wife, Monica, and another writer for Northern Lights, Josh Duke, laid down the groundwork for what the magazine has evolved into.
Durant writes, edits, sells ads, manages ad clients and delivers the magazine as well as books stand-up comedians for Savage Henry's monthly comedy shows and its annual Savage Henry Magazine Comedy Festival (formerly SHITS and Giggles Comedy Festival). He also co-produces and co-hosts the magazine's weekly podcast, the Savage Henry Magazine Radio Program.
He lives in McKinleyville, California with his wife, three of his children, two dogs, two cats and his Playstation 3.